Kiln apparatus.



PATENTED JULY 14, 1908.

W. T. BLACK. 'KILN APPARATUS. APPLICATION I'ILED JULY 31. 1907.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOH m'lZanz 21526501; /74444 44 ATTORNEYS w. T. BLACK. KILN APPARATUS. PPLIOATIOII E'ILEYD JULY 31. 1907.

PATENTED. JULY 14, 1908.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES f%@ No. 892,975. PATENTED JULY'14, 190s.

. w. 1'. BLACK.

KILN APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED JULY31 1907 4 SHEETS-SHEET f1 WILLIAM TABOR BLACK, OF LAQUIN, PENNSYLVANIA.

KILN APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed July 31, 1907. Serial No. 386,449.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM T. BLACK, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Laquin, in the county of Bradford and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Kiln Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. i a

This invention relates to drying apparatus and is particularly useful in connection with kilns, sheds and other structures for drying and seasoning wood. 1

An object of the invention is toprovide a drying apparatus comprising a charging car having means i for firmly and resiliently holding the material to be dried, and guides for assisting in loading the car with the material to be dried.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the class described including a car adapted to receive the material to be dried in the kiln, shed, or other structure, and constructed to hold the material in such manner that the same can shrink uniformly, whereby warping and splitting is prevented, or reduced to a minimum.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a drying apparatus comprising a charging car adapted to receive and hold a number of boards of wood or the like, together with an adjustable frame serving to guide the boards into position upon the car in loading the latter.

The loading device which is used in combination with my kiln apparatus forms no part of the invention described herewith. The loading device is covered in my patent application filed October 15, 1907 under Serial No. 397,483. i

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts to be more fully described hereinafter and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to' the accompany ing drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of'reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and in which Figure 1 is an end elevation of the charging car and the loading device, showing parts broken away and parts in section; Fi 2 is a side elevation of the car and the loading device, showing the car in a different position in dotted outline; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 1, showing the car in position supported upon tracks and held by an are resilient Patented July 14, 190s.-

over-head rail; Fig. 4 is an enlarged section on the line 44 of Fig. 1, showing parts broken away; Fig. 5 is an enlarged section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4, showing a part broken away; Fig. 6 is an enlarged side elevation of a part of theloading device, showing portions in vertical section; Fig. 7 is an enlarged section on the line 77 of Fig. 1; Fig. 8 is a vertical section showing the method of mounting the loading device; Fig. 9 is a perspective diagrammatic view, showing part of the adjusting mechanism of the loading device; Fig. 10 is an enlarged view of the outer end of one of the arms and its point, a portion thereof being broken away, the outer end of the body of an arm before the point is applied thereto.

Before proceeding to a more detailed explanation of mv invention, it should be and Fig. 11 is a perspective view of V understood that it is customary to season or dry wood such as barrel stock, in kilns, sheds or other structures, wherein the boards are arranged with the ends overlapping and are held tightly by the weight of the boards themselves.

This method has the serious I draw-back that the middle of each board is free to dry and shrink, while the ends are held so tightly that they cannot shrink. For this reason the boards contract in the central portions, remaining of the same width at the ends; but as the latter cannot shrink uniformly the shrinkage effects the splitting of the boards at the ends. In this way a great deal of excellent stock is seriously damaged.

The primary purpose of my invention is to i produce a charging car for drying kilns, sheds or other structures, in which the stock of boards or the like can be held firmly yet resiliently so that each board is independent of all the other boards and can shrink uniformly throughout its mass. It is well known that if the boards are not held with a certain degree of rigidity, they will curl and warp; it is to be noted therefore that while the boards must not be held so tightly that shrinkage is only possible in s ots, they must nevertheless be so arrange in the kiln, shed or other structure, that the shrinkage will not effect curling or warping of the wood. To accomplish this I provide a car having stocksu porting arms spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the boards comprising the stock, and the arms y mounted so that the boards are held uniformly between the same though free to move. As it might occasion difficulty in loading the car to insert the boards exactly between the adjacent supporting arms, I. provide a loading device comprising are so constructed that the guides register cludes a single with the spacers between the supporting arms to permit the insertion of the boards. In my device, furthermore, the ends of the boards do not interlock or lap, so that the circulation of the heated or non-heated air among the stock in the kiln, shed or other structure is far better than in the usual arrangement of the charge. The car is arranged in a vertical position while being loaded but in traveling up the track provided therefor and in the kiln, shed, or other structure, itself, the car is canted at an angle of preferably about 17 a" with the vertical; consequently, the air spaces or openings in the floor of the kiln must be inclined at an angle of 17 with the horizontal, to permit a direct line of air current straight through the pile of boards longitudinally of the sup v porting-arms.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 represents the char ing car adapted to be mounted upon tra-c -rails 2 of the usual type, and held and guided by an overhead rail 3 consisting preferably of an I beam. The car includes a Z-shaped cross frame 4 carrying bearing brackets 5 upon which are mounted the supporting wheels 6 adapted to run upon the track-rails 2. The wheels 6- are of the usual flanged form, as is shown most clearly in Fig. 1. The car in- L-shaped cross-frame 7 at the upper end, connected with the cross frame 4 by hollow uprights 8 each of which has a longitudinal slot 9. The cross frame 4 adj acent to each of the uprights 8 carries a laterally extended base member 10, having strengthening webs 11, and mounted upon the cross frame 4 by means of bolts 12. Slidably arranged within the uprights 8, which are preferably of D-shape in cross section, are pluralities of heads 13 carrying supporting arms 14, extending through the slots 9 of the uprights 8 and substantially parallel to the base members 10 adjacent to each of the uprights. To decrease the weight of the supporting members 14 they are preferably of sheet metal bent to form longitudinal grooves 15, and further, have at the ends points 16 of cast metal held in position by studs 17 bent inward from the sides of the grooves as shown in Fig. 11. Each of the uprights 8 has a crown 18, presenting a recess registering with the hollow-interior of the upright, and provided with a lateral extension 19 mounted by means of a bolt 20 upon the cross frame 7. The heads 13 are shaped to conform to the cross section, of the uprights 8 and are laterally cut away to decrease the weight thereof. \Vithin each of the uprights 8 upon the upper head 13, is carried a larger though similar head 2], having a bracket arm 22 extending through the slot 9 and substantially parallel to the arms 14:. The bracket arm is longitudinally strengthened by means of integral ribs 23, and at the end has a hook 21 in substantially vertical alinement with a hook 25 formed at the extremity of the base member 10. The hooks 2 1 and 25 are connected by a flexible member 26, consisting preferably of a chain having at an interi-ner'liate point a helical spring 27. It will thus be seen that the extremities of the base member and the bracket arms are firmly but resiliently joined. Within each of the uprights S and seating against the head 21 is a helical.

spring 28, upon which rests a follower 29, having a threaded shank 30, arranged in a correspondingly threaded opening of the crown 18 and provided. at the outside thereof with a squared head 31. By means of the follower 29, which can be operated by means of a wrench or in any manner, the tension of the spring 28 can be regulated to hold the heads more or less firmly upon one another. It will be understood that by means of the resiliently-held heads and the resilient connection between the base member 10 and the bracket arms 22, the supporting arms 14 are resiliently spaced. The spaces between the arms will depend upon the thickness of the heads carrying the arms, and are substantially equal to the thickness of the boards or other material to be dried in the kiln, shed or other structure; thus the material is held firmly but not so firmly that it cannot shrink uniformly under the influence of the drying air. Mounted upon the cross frame 7 near the middle, is a bracket 32, having arms 33, each of which carries a guide roller 34.. The guide rollers are arranged upon the overhead I-beam track rail, one at each side of the web of the I-beam. The height of thecar is such that when it is inclined from the vertical to an angle of substantially 171,-", the rollers 34 engage the lower flanges of the I-beam and thus support part of the weight of the ear. While the car is being loaded it is arranged in a vertical position, suitable steps or blocks 35 and 36 being provided at the track rails and over-head rails for the purpose. The arrangement is such that when the car is tilted to the angle mentioned, the weight of the load will hold it in the canted position.

The loading device includes uprights 37, mounted .upon suitable supports 38 upon the ground and having the upper ends other suitable mounted in openings of the roof or kiln house ceiling -or otherwise suitably held.

" Near the upper ends the uprights are con- 45 carried by the brackets 42.

nected by a cross member 39. A frame, comprising substantially parallel sides 40, is mounted between the uprights 37 and has the ends 41 provided with rigid brackets 42. The brackets 42 have openings slidably engaging vertical guides .43, mounted upon the uprights. The upri hts 37 have vertical ratchet bars 44, norma y engaged by dogs The dogs serve to hold the frame in position upon the uprights. The frame can be moved upwardly without releasing the dogs, as the latter slip inoperatively overtheteeth of the ratchet during the upward movement of the frame. To lower the frame it is necessary to release the dogs.

Between the sides 40 of the frame are mounted tapered guides 46, which serve to direct the boards or other material inserted therebetween to a position between adjacent supporting arms of the car. The guides 46 have forked arms 47, secured by means of thumb screws 48, to the sides 40 of the frame. The arms 47 are mounted upon the guides by means of screw bolts 49. The guides have slots 50, adjacent to the extremities of the supporting arms 14, and are tapered t0. the. slots so that a board inserted between the guides and pushed therethrough is directed to a position between the adjacent supporting arms. The arrangement of the ratchet bars and the brackets of the frame is such, that wherever the frame is held by the ratchet bars the slots of the guides will register with the openings between adjacent supporting arms. The guides are laterally adjustable u on the sides of the frame, to receive stoc of different lengths.

To assist in the raising and lowering of the 5 frame and the guides, I provide a flexible line 51, consisting of a cord or the like, secured at one end to one of the brackets 42 and passing over a pulley 52, mounted near the upper end of the upright 37 adjacent tothe bracket in question, the line 51 assing over the pulley 52 to a pulley 53 at t e rear of the opposite upright 37 Passing over the pulley 53 the line asses over a further pulley 54, carried near t e lower end of the upright and around that pulley to the adjacent bracket 42. A second similar line 55, is secured at one end to the last-mentioned bracket 42 and passes from the same over a pulley 56, mounted at the up er end of the adjacent upright, over the pul ey 56 to apulley 57, at the rear of the opposite upright, then over a pulley 58 at the lower end of the same upright, and over the pulley 58 to the first bracket 42 to which it is secured. The arrangement is such that the runs of the lines which are attached to the brackets, always move in the same direction. This is due to the fact that the lines cross, as appears most clearly in the diagrammatic view shown in Fig. 9. Thus, when the frame is moved up ward or downward by the pressure exerted at'any point thereof this pressure is evenly applied at the guide ends of the frame by means of the lines 51 and 55.

Having thus described my invention I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In apparatus of the class described, a car having resiliently held supporting means for the material to be dried, and means for adjusting the resilient'tension of said first means.

2. In apparatus of the class described, a car having means for resiliently holding the material, and means for holding said car in engagement with track rails, and means for adjusting the resilient tension of said first means.

3. 'In apparatus of the-class described, a car having arms for supporting the material, said arms being spaced to permit the insertion of the material therebetween and being resiliently held, said arms further being independent of each other.

4. In apparatus of the class described, a car adapted to run upon track rails and to be held by an overhead rail, the arrangement being such that the car is normally at an angle with the horizontal, said car having resiliently-held supporting means for the material to be dried.

5. In ap aratus of the class described, a car adapted to be'run upon rails and having uprights, arms slidably carried by said uprights and adapted to support the material to be dried, and resilient means for holding said arms in position.

6. In apparatus of the class described, a car having uprights, arms slidably carried by said uprights, resilient means for holding said arms in position, and means for adjusting said resilient holding means.

7. In apparatus of the class described, a car adapted to run upon track rails and to be held in position by an over-head rail, said car having slotted upri hts, heads slidably arranged in said uprig ts, arms rigid with said heads and extending through the slots of said uprights, resilient means for holding said heads in position one upon the other, and means for adjusting said resilient holding means, said arms being spaced to receive material therebetween.

8. In apparatus of the class described, a car having hollow uprights presenting slots, heads within said uprights, arms rigidwith said heads and extending through said slots, springs within said uprights for holding said heads in position, means for adjusting the tension of said s rings, and resilient connections between t e outer extremities of the upper and lower of said arms, said arms being spaced to receive the material therebetween.

9. In ap aratus of the class described, a car having ollow uprights presenting longitudinal slots, heads conforming to the cross sectional shape of said uprights and slidably arranged within the same, arms rigidly carried by said heads and extending through said slots, springs within said uprights and engaging the up ermost of said heads to hold in position all of said heads within each of said uprights, means for adjusting the tension of said springs, and a flexible resili ent member secured to said car and the uppermost of said arms, said arms being spaced by said heads to receive the material therebetween.

10. In apparatus of the class described, a car having uprights, heads arranged to slide longitudinally of said uprights, arms rigid with said heads, and resilient means for holding said heads in position, said arms being substantially of U-section and having near the ends inwardly disposed studs, each of said arms having a tapered point adapted to be held in position atthe extremity of said arm by means of said studs.

11. In apparatus of the class described, a car having hollow uprights presenting slots, heads within said uprights, arms rigid with said heads and extending through said slots, and adjustable resilient means for holding said heads in position within said uprights, said heads being greater in thickness than said arms whereby said arms are spaced to receive material therebetween.

12. In apparatus of the class described, a car having hollow uprights presenting slots, heads within said uprights, arms rigid with said heads and extending through said slots, springs Within said uprights and engaging the uppermost of said heads to hold said heads in position, crowns arranged at the upper ends of said uprights, and followers engaging said springs and having said crowns threaded opemngs threaded adjusting shanks, having correspondingly to receive said shanks.

13. In apparatus of the class described, a car having hollow uprights each having a flat side and a rounded side, said uprights presenting longitudinal slots at .aid llat sides, heads slidably arranged within said uprights andv each having a portion. fitting against said rounded side and a portion fitting against said llat side of the upright, arms rigid with said heads and extending through said slots, and resilient means for holding said heads in position within said uprights.

14. In apparatus of the class described, a car having hollow uprights, transverse members joining said uprights, base members near the lower end of each of said uprights, said. uprights having longitudinal slots, heads arranged within said uprights, arms rigid with said. heads and extending through said slots, resilient means for holding said heads within said uprights, means for adjusting said resilient means, the uppermost of said arms having near the end a hook, said base member having near the end a hook, and a flexible member having the ends removably secured to said hooks, said flexible member having a resilient portion.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

M. TABOR BLACK.

Witnesses L. W. OSBORNE, G. G, JOHNSTON. 

